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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

USDA Offers Food Safety Tips In Advance of Hurricane Irene

Following is a press release from the USDA. I include it here, not because it has anything to do with product recalls, but because it concerns a matter near and dear to my heart. Hurricane preparedness. Among other things, you absolutely must be careful of the food and water you consume in dire times like hurricane emergencies. And you must know how to keep your food in a way that it will remain wholesome for you to consume! It really would be better to eat no food than to make yourself ill from a food-bourne illness during the middle of a hurricane crisis!

For more on Emergency Preparedness, read my award winning article at Suite101:

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 24, 2011 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing recommendations for residents in states that might be affected by Hurricane Irene to minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses in the event of power outages, flooding, and other problems that could be associated with the storm.
"Hurricanes not only pose dangers to people's physical safety, but the resulting power outages and other effects of hurricanes also can affect the safety of the food people may rely upon after hurricanes strike," said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. "The American public should be aware of things they can do to protect the safety of their food before and after natural events." Steps to follow to prepare for a possible weather emergency:

Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.

Make sure the freezer is at 0°F or below and the refrigerator is at 40°F or below.

Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.

Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.

Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.

Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.

Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.

Steps to follow after the weather emergency:

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.

Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below when checked with a food thermometer.

Never taste a food to determine its safety!

Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.

If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40°F or below, the food is safe to refreeze.

If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.

Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.

Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.

Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters. If bottled water is not available, tap water can be boiled for safety.

When in Doubt, Throw it Out!
An FSIS Public Service Announcement (PSA), available in 30- and 60-second versions, illustrates practical food safety recommendations for handling and consuming foods stored in refrigerators and freezers during and after a power outage. Consumers are encouraged to view the PSA at: www.fsis.usda.gov/news/Food_Safety_PSA .
News organizations and power companies can obtain hard copy (Beta and DVD) versions of the PSA by contacting the Food Safety Education Staff in FSIS' Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education by calling (301) 344-4757.
FSIS's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/USDAFoodSafety , provides a video in English and Spanish titled "Food Safety During Power Outages." The channel also includes the SignFSIS video in American Sign Language titled "Food Safety During a Power Outage." Food Safety at Home podcasts regarding food safety during severe weather, power outages, and flooding are available on the FSIS website in English and Spanish at www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Food_Safety_at_Home_Podcasts/index.asp .
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at www.AskKaren.gov . "Ask Karen" live chat services are available Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. Podcasts and SignFSIS videos in American Sign Language featuring text-captioning are available online at www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/multimedia .
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Follow FSIS on Twitter at twitter.com/usdafo

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Some people might call me a health nut, and probably I am--but not in the typical sense.
I am concerned with good food, quality nutrition and a healthy environment just like everyone else.
But I am just as concerned about the things that everyone takes for granted: Things like our medicines being safe to consume. Things like the instuments used by my surgeon being safe and reliable. And things like the toys my children and grandchildren play with not being toxic or outright deadly.
It takes time and research to discover how to best protect yourself as a consumer. And because of this, I write Totally Recalled so that people everywhere will have a one-stop place to find all of the newest recall and safety information on all products--ranging from everyday lettuce to medical blood plasma.